NEGRIL, Westmoreland — Deputy Prime Minister Dr Horace Chang has revealed that work will soon begin to alleviate chronic traffic snarls in Lucea.

“We are doing some work in Lucea, in particular, which is in bad shape. It should begin anytime now because the prime minister has assigned the senior officers from NWA [National Works Agency] to come down and work on it,” stated Dr Chang.

“During that time we will see how the traffic management can be improved in both Hopewell and Lucea,” he added.

He did not give a start date for work to begin.

Dr Chang was addressing stakeholders at a Negril Chamber of Commerce (NCC) meeting at Couples Swept Away in Westmoreland on Thursday.

During the meeting the deputy prime minister reiterated that the Government is committed to the construction of a bypass road for Hopewell and Lucea as a long-term fix.

While he did not provide a price tag he confirmed, as recently reported by the Jamaica Observer, that the Government will be providing 100 per cent funding for the project.

“That section from Montego Bay around Hopewell, and then around Lucea, will be pretty expensive but we think it should be done. We think it is still viable — and anything we do, we look at the cost-benefit of the comfort and ease to get to Negril,” said Dr Chang.

He pointed out that putting the bypass inland would allow the waterfront area from Negril to Montego Bay to become prime resort land.

“The increase in value of that will pay for the road, even if we are talking about US$300 million or $400 million,” Dr Chang added.

He also confirmed the widening of the Montego Bay to St Ann leg of the northern coastal highway, noting that the country is currently behind in road infrastructure — which is key to the tourism sector.

“My colleague technical decision-makers don’t necessarily understand the impact of both the formal and informal activities of tourism. Tourism is a cash economy that drives the economy in many ways, and the infrastructure was way behind. This prime minister [Andrew Holness] is the first prime minister to give us the kind of attention that we require,” stated Dr Chang, who noted that the country is playing catch-up.

Pointing to the length of time it took between conceptualisation and implementation of the Montego Bay Perimeter Road, he said the bypass project for Hanover could take up to 48 months, from design to implementation. He outlined some of what the Government will be doing in the short term to address the traffic situation. He said attention will be given to the primary road leading through the town, and that the Malcolm Heights alternative road — which is in a shoddy state now — will be repaired.

Dr Chang assured members of Negril’s business community that, when completed, the alternative road will allow cars to bypass the town while buses and other larger vehicles will utilise the main thoroughfare.

Providing more details on what will happen along the main thoroughfare, he said police could reduce delivery trucks’ use of Hanover Street (a one-way road) during the day while Willie Delliser Boulevard could once again have two-way traffic as it did approximately two decades ago.

“If we get the Malcolm Heights going and that [Willie Delliser Boulevard] — in consultation with the National Works Agency and the police — we can do some work to relieve Lucea,” stated Dr Chang.

He also spoke of plans to do extensive repair to the seawall and drains, along with paving of Seaview Drive which he said has been compromised by the sea.

However, immediate past president of the NCC, Richard Wallace suggested that an entirely new road be built as the towns of Sandy Bay and Green Island will become congested in the future.

Dr Chang said suggestions will be taken into consideration.

As for Hopewell, the deputy prime minister said that was “a bigger problem”. He suggested that the police could be asked to monitor the road while repairs are done to the pothole-riddled surface.

“If we fix that pothole and send the taxis down to the parking lot, we could keep things moving in Hopewell until we get the bypass,” reasoned Dr Chang.